Mounting for ladder-rungs.



F. A. FROEHLICH.

MOUNTING FOR LADDER RUNGS. APPLICATION FILED JAN-27.1916.

1,181 ,303 Patented May 2, 1916.

' Fig.1.

A ltomey the ladder and the rungs than if the rungs E1) %TATE@ PATElMOUNTING FOR LADDER-RUNGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 1916.

Application filed January 27, 1916. Serial No. 74,643.

To all whom it may concern:

7 Be it known that I, FRANK A. FRoEHLIoH,

' Rungs, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to ladder construction, or means formountmg or securing the rungs to the side ralls of the ladder, and hasfor an object to provide means for quickly assembling the rungs in aladder, which is of substantlal strength, and gives even greater supportand rigldlty to themselves were extended laterally through the siderails, which admits of the qulck detachment of the rungs individuallyfrom between the side rails, and the replacement of rungs therebetween,so that repairs may be quickly made without disturbing the position ofthe ladder and within a few mmutes, and to provide a mounting for therungs,

wherein the side rails of the ladder do not have to be spread apart toreceive the ends of the rungs.

Incarrying out the above and other objects and advantages of th1s inventon, the improvement contemplates; the provlsion of ladder rungs of theusual wood formation,

which carry upon their opposite ends ferrules adapted for engagementagainst the opposite inner sides of the rails of the ladder and whichhave openings extending entirely through the same. Each side rail of theladder has an opening transversely thereof of the usual size to receivethe ladder rung, but through which is passed a bolt or pm for engagementin the outer end of the ferrule to hold the ferrule rigidly against theinner side of the adjacent ladder rail and .thus provide a support,which is rigid and possesses even greater strength than in thosestructures where the rungs are extended at their ends into and throughthe side rails of the ladder.

The above and other objects and advantages of this invention will bebrought out in the following detail descriptlon of the present preferredembodiment of thls 1nvention, the same being illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, where1 n- Figure 1 is a fragmentary new of aladder, showing the side rail, a rung, and the improved moimting for therung, the parts being shown in elevation. Fig. 2 is a similar viewdisclosing the parts in section. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view,taken through the rung inwardly of the attaching ferrule, and on theline 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. at is a detail longitudinal central sectionalview of the coupling or attaching ferrule. Fig. 5 is a detail sideelevational view of one end of the rung. Fig. 6 is a detail sideelevational view of the attaching bolt or pin. Fig. 7 is an outer endelevation of the same, showing the wrench receiving openings in the headthereof.

' Referring to this drawing, wherein like parts are designated bysimilar numerals of reference throughout the several views, 10designates one of the side rails of a ladder, which is of the usualconstruction, and which is provided with the usual transverse opening11, which in the ordinary construction of ladders receives therethroughthe adjacent end of the rung.

The present invention provides a rung 12 of the usual wooden type usedin hand or aerial ladders by fire departments, and the like, and whichis substantially an inch in diameter, and which, as shown in Fig. 5, isprovided upon its end with a coarse screw threaded portion 13. As therung 12 is made of wood, the threaded portion 13 is accordingly maderelatively coarse to provide substantial wood screw threads. Upon eachend of the rung 12, there is permanently mounted a ferrule 1 1, theinner end of which has coarse wood screw threads 15 adapted to en gageover the threaded portion 13 of the rung, and to be tightened thereon,as shown in Fig. 3, whereby to securely mount the ferrule on the end ofthe rung. The ferrule 11 is provided with a base flange 16, Which isoutturned from the outer end of the ferrule, and which has its outerface co-extensive with the outer end of the ferrule, to provide a.relatively wide bearing face for engagement against the inner side ofthe adjacent rail 10 to rigidly connect the rung 12 to the rail 10 andprovide a ladder structure which is substantial and solid. It is afeature of the invention to secure this rung to the side rail by meanswhich is of substantially the same thickness, diameter, and strength asthat of the end of the rung, and even more so. To this end the usualopening 11 in the side rail 10 is provided, and, fitted in this opening11, is a connecting bolt or pin 17 of substantially one inch indiameter, and adapted to fit snugly in the opening 11. The body portionof the bolt or pin 17 is smooth and cylindrical, so as to turn freely inthe opening 11, while the outer end of the bolt 17 is provided withmachine screw threads 18, adapted to engage in the outer end of theferrule 1d and interlock with correspondingly formed machine screwthreads 19 provided in the outer end or half of the ferrule. The bolt orpin 17 has a relatively fiat head 20 adapted to lie flat against theouter side of the rail 10, and has a rounded outer surface, so as toward ofi objects coming in contact with the side rail and prevent anyabrupt edges or shoulders. This head 20 is preferably provided atdiametrically opposed and spaced apart points with openings 21 adaptedto receive therein the projections or prongs of a wrench, or othersuitable instrument, which may be used for turning the bolt 17 insecuring rungs to the ladder, or in removing rungs therefrom.

With the device of this construction, it will be noted that the rung issecured to the rail by the bolt 17, which is of the same thickness ordiameter as the rung itself, and is preferably made of metal, such asaluminium, and therefore, has greater strength and durability than theend of the rung itself. It will also be noted that the ferrule with itsbase flange 16 is considerably larger and of substantial diameter, sothat when the bolt binds the ferrule against the inner side of the rail10, the ferrule 1a is held rigidly and securely against the side railand a strong, solid structure is produced. The ferrule 14'. alsoprovides for a substantial support for the end of the rung 12, as itreceives therein a relatively long portion of the end of the rung, andthe rung 12 itself is thus rendered stronger and more capable ofsupporting the weight placed upon it, as the rung is shorter and thepoints of engagement or support for the rung are closer together, owingto the inward extension of the (fierrules 14 at the opposite sides ofthe lad- It is designed to construct the ferrule 1 1 and the bolt 17 ofaluminium, or other light metal, so that the desired strength anddurability may be had, and at the same time the necessary lightness inweight is adhered to throughout the entire ladder construction.

When, for any reason, a rung should break, or wear out, or burn out, anew rung may be quickly placed in the ladder by simply unscrewing thebolts 17 at the opposite sides of the rails 10, and the rung with itsferrules 14 be slipped either forwardly or backwardly from between therails 10. The new rung may now be easily slipped in between the siderails 10 of the ladder and brought into registry with the openings 11thereof, as the bolts'17 may now be passed inwardly and engaged in theouter ends of the ferrules 1% to bind the same against the side rails,and to hold the side rails from spreading apart or contracting, and toalso prevent any swinging of the side rails out of their true transverseposition with respect to the axis of the rung 12.

There is thus provided a substantial structure which not only supportsthe rungs rigidly between the side rails, but which also provides arigid brace for the side rails. No additional bracing rods, or the like,are necessary with the present rung mounting.

The entire ladder may be built up or knocked down, one or more rungs maybe removed and replaced, or one of the side rails may be removed, in afew minutes, which with ladders now in general use it requires hours,repairs or remove the ladders.

It is, of course, understood that all such changes in form and the siderails or rungs of and sometimes days, to make design may be made,

without departing from the spirit of this invention, which ispermissible within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is 1. In a ladder, a side rail having the usual rungreceiving opening therethrough, a rung, a ferrule having its opening ofuniform diameter from end to end, and engaging at one end over the endof said rung to be carried thereby, an outwardly extending flange on theouter end of the ferrule to seat against the inner face of the side railand provide a substantial base for the ferrule, and a securing bolt ofthe diameter of the rung extending inwardly through the said opening inthe side rail and engaging in the outer end of said ferrule to bind thelatter against the side rail and hold the rung rigidly in place.

2. In a ladder, a side rail having the usual rung receiving openingtherethrough, a ferrule engaging against the inner face of said siderail in registry with said opening, and having an interior bore ofsubstantially the diameter of the opening and being coarse screwthreaded at the inner end of the ferrule and being machine screwthreaded at the outer end of the ferrule, a rung having a coarse screwthreaded end adapted for engagement in the inner end of said ferrule,and a bolt extending inwardly through said rung receiving opening in theside rail and engaging in threaded relation in the outer end of saidferrule to bind the latter against the side rail, the said bolt havingarelatively fiat head engaging againstthe outer side of said rail andhaving wrench receiving openings therein to admit the ready turning ofthe bolt.

3. In combination with a rail having an opening therein, a rung havingits end threaded, a ferrule having a threaded opening, one end of whichreceives the threaded as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signaend ofthe rung, and a bolt passed through ture in the presence of twoWitnesses. the openlng of the side rail, and having its head engagingthe side rail, and its threaded FRANK FROEHLICIL 5 end engaging thethreaded opening of the Witnesses:-

ferrule. JOHN DEVLIN,

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing HERMANN WALZER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O.

